Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, the list goes on of the several times a year when we are called to give gifts. With all these opportunities to show others that we care, sometimes these can add up and get a little pricey. This is why I came up with 10 free gift ideas that are actually good and will work! The person receiving the gift will be super thrilled by the thought and time put into these kinds of gifts.
1. homemade Coupons
Coupons are a great gift to give! I have received a few over the years and I use them up pretty quickly. One year my husband made me a few coupons. It was a super sweet gift and I used up all the “Free Massage” ones within a week. We also have had friends gift us with free babysitting and we lap that up like this morning’s milk.
Coupons are a great way to be creative and think about what the person you are gifting would appreciate and actually use.
2. Creative Writing
I have found that parents really enjoy these kinds of gifts. In the past I have written poems, letters, and lists of “10 things I love about you”, and they are always a hit. One day I aspire to write a short story for my husband for his Christmas gift. Shhhh it’s a secret, don’t tell him.
3. bake cookies
Okay, this isn’t totally free if you don’t have baking ingredients at home. But, if you do have some flour and other baking stuff lying around, this is a goodie. I have received a lot of baking over the years, mostly at Christmastime, and it is the BEST. My husband also makes really delicious shortbread cookies at Christmas and he is the bomb dot com. He gets so many compliments about his incredible shortbread LOL.
4. plan a special outing
This is one that may not be “free” in the end, but it truly depends on what you decide to do for the outing. Some great free outings could include stuff like fishing, sunset walks along the beach, hiking, biking, or a long drive somewhere beautiful with hot drinks (made from home lol).
5. gift with art
I grew up in a very artistic family. One of my sisters is super profesh in cake decorating, another is an incredible graphic designer, and my youngest sister does a pretty amazing portrait of anything! My sisters often use their artful talents to gift others and it’s so much better than getting anything from a shop.
I encourage you to use your creative juices to either paint, draw, sculpt, up-cycle, create… the list goes on. I often enjoy making body butter, so sometimes I gift my friends with a jar of lavender smelling goo. Again, the supplies do cost money, but I usually have these things lying around anyway for myself.
This suggestion highly depends on the supplies that you own at home. If you have basic string with beads you can make things like key chains, bracelets, necklaces, or anklets. If you own a bunch of corn flour you can try making baked ornaments or this cloud dough (always fun for adults as well). If you have random pieces of rectangular shaped wood and mod podge, you can stick pictures onto them as wall decor or a coaster. If you are crafty with sewing, or any kind of needlework you can always make an easy pillow, soft toy, or knit a scarf or face cloth. I find Mod Podge is a great addition to the art bin because you can create so many types of gifts with them, including these DIY jars.
And don’t forget, music is also a form of art! One year I wrote a song for my husband’s Christmas gift. I sang along with our ukulele and in French to try give it a romantic-down-to-earth feel. In the end he loved it very much and he was very touched by it.
6. digital gifts
You can get quite creative with your phone when it comes to gift giving. I once made a digital collage with photos of my brothers, sisters and I giving a thumbs up. We put a small message on it and sent it to my dad for his birthday.
Recently, for my sister-in-law’s birthday, my brother-in-law collected videos of our family and their friends stating what kind of wine they would drink with her.
I also recently made a playlist on Apple Music and sent it to my friend on her birthday.
One day I hope to choreograph and film a dance for our family… hopefully it won’t scar them too much.
7. give the gift of meals
Food is always a great idea. If you roll up at your friend’s house with a container of their favourite pasta, I’m sure they will be thrilled! Again, this is one where you may have to buy ingredients, but hopefully you can whip something up from things you already have in your pantry.
8. Write a good ol’ card
Most people accompany a gift with a card, but there is nothing wrong with giving a card by itself. If you don’t have any blank cards knocking around, you can make your own card! Or, if your kids are quite creative, get them to decorate the card for you.
Oh yes, and make sure you write something beautiful inside.
9. make a bouquet
If you have an amazing flower garden, or better yet a field of flowers by your home this is the gift idea for you. I so love it when people pick flowers for me. There is something so natural and joyous about a freshly picked bunch of flowers.
10. borrow books from the library
I have tried this once before on my husband, and to be honest he was not super thrilled LOL. But I know that if he did the same to me I would be ecstatic! Anyways, there was a book he really wanted to read that I had to put on hold. Thankfully it came in just before his birthday, so I wrapped it up and gave it to him. Now, he really wanted to buy this book, but once he had a bit of a “taste” of it, he never talked about buying it again. I think we saved ourselves a few dollars by borrowing it from the library!
The same can be done for different CDs or DVDs that the person you are gifting may be in search of. I recommend making sure you place the item on hold long in advance before the date of the gift giving.
Just make sure the person either gives you the book back before it’s due or takes it back themselves!!!
conclusion
So there you have it. 10 free gift ideas that are actually good! Have a gander through the list and pick a few to practice this year for the ones that you love!